Immigrant-Rights Leader Nativo Lopez Resigns After 44 Years of Activism

After 44 years of activism Nativo Lopez, the controversial immigrant-rights leader, stated that he will resign from public life.

The former Santa Ana school board member expressed his frustration on the lack of progress of his efforts in a three-page announcement he emailed this Monday.

In the announcement he wrote, “After so many years of experimenting with different forms and means to change this system, I have found myself doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.”

Now resigning his positions as both the head of Hermandad Mexicanca Latinoamericana and the Mexican American Political Association, Lopez identified he will focus only on his personal life.

This retreat from the public life might be ideal because Lopez has been the center of controversy at times.

In 2003, he was recalled from his post as school board member on accusations of caring only about his own political interests and delaying construction programs.

In the race between Democrat Loretta Sanchez and incumbent Bod Doran in 1996, the House Oversight Committee identified that his organization, Hermandad Mexicana Nacional, was responsible for improper voter registrations.

In 2002, when Hermandad Mexicana Nacional was given federal funding and grants, he was accused for using in the money to pay off the mortgage of his headquarters. The association later agreed to pay a $600,000 settlement.

Lopez was led the Hermandad Mexicana Nacional/Latinoamericana for 33 years and has been president of the Mexican American Political Association since 2003.

Although Nativo Lopez was viewed as a champion for immigrants, some might say his various controversies spark a good riddance.